Depok Deputy Mayor on the Ban of Valentine's Day Celebration

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Depok City administration bans the celebration of Valentine's Day. The city's Deputy Mayor, Pradi Supriatna, said that such an event has no benefit and even tends to lead to negative things. 

"Love does not have to be accumulated in one day, fearing that Valentine's Day celebration will be more disadvantageous," he told reporters on Thursday, February 13, 2020.

Pradi pointed out that not a few people who interpreted Valentine's Day as a one-day moment to overflowing affection to the point of even breaking religious, social and cultural norms.

"Staying up late until the sun shines, wasting money and even nearing to violate religious norms, that is what we're worried about," said the deputy mayor, adding that he doesn't prohibit people to express their love to their loved ones.

"We are not forbidding them. We can show our affection every day to our parents, our brothers or sisters, and our friends too, but we anticipate the negative things that will probably happen in Valentine's Day celebration," said Pradi.

Previously, the Depok City Education Agency forbids students from celebrating Valentine's Day through a Circular Letter number 421/937/II/Feb.SMP/2020 dated 12 February 2020 which was distributed to elementary and junior high school headmasters.

"The purpose is to protect students from conducting activities that are contrary to religious, social and cultural norms," said Head of the Depok City Education Agency, Mohammad Thamrin.

Ade Ridwan Yandwiputra (Kontributor) | Galuh Kurnia Ramadhani (Intern Translator)